Bottle carrier

ABSTRACT

The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is directed to a carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row. The carrier is made from a resilient deformable plastic sheet material which folds and mechanically locks into a prism-like shape in which the end faces are triangles. Aligned apertures through the base and apex of the carrier provide an interlocking relationship of the carrier with the bottles such that the side walls of the carrier are bowed outwardly to project the marginal edges of the apertures in the apex of the carrier firmly against the underside of the cap portion enlargements of the bottles with the marginal edges of the apertures in the base of the carrier being firmly circumferentially urged downwardly against the enlarging neck portions of the bottle. The bottle gripping apertures in the apex of the carrier are defined by partially lapped larger apertures in lapped sections of the carrier. Simple tabs permit the carrier to be unlocked and the larger apertures in lapped sections of the carrier may then be axially aligned to permit the carrier to be easily lifted from the bottles. The carrier may be reused by mechanically interlocking the tabs in the tab receiving apertures and projecting the carrier downwardly over the bottles until the apex apertures snap below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles. An integral upwardly extending handle is provided for easy carrying of the bottles inserted into the carrier.

United States Patent Olsen [4 1 June 11, 1974 4] BOTTLE CARRIER [75] Inventor: Robert C. Olsen, Wheeling, ll].

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Chicago,

Ill.

[22] Filed: Nov. 13, 1972 [211 App]. No.: 305,728

[52] U.S. Cl. 294/87.2, 206/65 E [51] Int. Cl B65d 71/00 [58] Field of Search 294/87, 87.2; 206/65 C,

206/65 E; 224/45 AA, 45 AB, 45 BA [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,397,7l6 4/1946 Wendler 294/87.2

Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney, Agent, or Firm0lson, Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell & Fosse, Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is directed to a carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row. The carrier is made from a resilient deformable plastic sheet material which folds and mechanically locks into a prism-like shape in which the end faces are triangles. Aligned apertures through the base and apex of the carrier provide an interlocking relationship of the carrier with the bottles such that the side walls of the carrier are bowed outwardly to project the marginal edges of the apertures in the apex of the carrier firmly against the underside of the cap portion enlargements of the bottles with the marginal edges of the apertures in the base of the carrier being firmly circumferentially urged downwardly against the enlarging neck portions of the bottle. The bottle gripping apertures in the apex of the carrier are defined by partially lapped larger apertures in lapped sections of the carrier. Simple tabs permit the carrier to be unlocked and the larger apertures in lapped sections of the carrier may then be axially aligned to permit the carrier to be easily lifted from the bottles. The carrier may be reused by mechanically interlocking the tabs in the tab receiving apertures and projecting the carrier downwardly over the bottles until the apex apertures snap below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles. An integral upwardly extending handle is provided for easy carrying of the bottles inserted into the carrier.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures sis-1.5547

PA'TENTEDJun 1 1 m4 SHEEI 2 BF 2 BOTTLE CARRIER; t

BACKGROUNDIOF THEINVE-NTION made for packaging or otherwise securing a group of such beverage bottles together ina depending, condition and generally required positive paperboard gripping means which must be: torn or otherwise destroyed to remove bottles fromthe carrier, with the result that the carrier can not be'used again; for carrying; theempty bottles when their return to a. store is desirable or necessary. Various molded: or formed bifurcated clips are also known for carrying a groupofibottl'es in a depending condition. While reusable, such: carriers are generally expensive-anddo not hold the bottles againstpivotting in the carrier. Also, reusable carriers generally have separate handle means attached. to the carrier to facilitate in carrying the heavy weight of quart size, bottles. However, these separate, handle structures increase the-overall cost of such carriers.

.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The carrier of the invention is a. simple and economiin axial parallel alignment against pivoting to permit safe, convenient transport of the resulting package.

- The resulting package is carried by improved handle means which is formed as an integral part of the resilient plastic sheet, thus eliminating the need of a separate handle member.

The resulting package is easily removed from the bottles by pulling the tabs from their interlocking apertures. The apex of the carrier then opens into axially aligned overlapping apertures which are substantially larger than the enlarged cap portions of the bottles and the opened carrier isthen merely lifted from the bottles.

The carrier of the invention is also easily reassembled for carrying bottles, such as returning empties to the store, by overlapping the apex portions of the carrier, and manually snapping the tabs into their interlocking apertures. The carrier is then merely pushed downdiverging neck portions, which is easily assembed in a locked condition for application to the bottles, easily unlocked for removal from the bottles, and which, in the locked and applied condition to the bottles, will firmly hold the bottles in a row for hand transport by gripping an upwardly'extending handle of the carrier with the bottles in a depending condition therefrom.

cal carrier that can be, usedandreused for carrying returnable or non-returnable bottles. and is intended for .use with .a plurality of bottles arranged-in: a. row. The carrier firmly holds the bottles against pivoting in the carrier. The carrier is made from a resilient, deformitial projection of the carrier downward over the bottles, the base of the carrier, which hasv apertures of a substantial size therein, engages the enlarging or diverging neck portions ofthebottles substantially below the cap portions. In the further downward projection of the carrier over the bottles, the apex of the carrier, which has apertures therein with opposed upwardly and inwardly inclinededges, is cammed over the enlarged cap portions of the bottles to lock beneath the cap portions. In-the locking of the apex apertures beneath the 'cap portions.enlargements,'the opposed side walls of the carrier are bowed outwardly and, by virtue of the resiliency of the material, the longitudinally extending sides ofthe apex apertures are urged upwardly into firm locking engagement with the underside of the cap portion enlargements and the marginal edges of the apertures in the base of "the carrier are firmly urged downwardly and circumferentially about theenlarging neck portions of thebottles to-firmly'hold the bottles Many other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will be more fully realized and understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals throughout the various views of the drawing are intended to designate similar elements or components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a carrier blank constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG.-2 is a side elevational view of a package showing the carrier of FIG. 1 in an assembled condition and applied to three bottles in a row;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 as taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of a carrier blank constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a package showing the carrier of FIG. 4 in an assembled condition and applied to three bottles in a row; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 as taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS The carrier blank 10 shown in FIG. 1 is punched or otherwise fonned from a sheet of plastic material of uniform thickness. In reduction to practice of the invention, one suitable material has been found to be high density polyethylene in a 0.04 thickness. High density polyethylene has the proper resiliency and deformability to permit the carrier blank to be folded and locked into an assembled condition, to effectively interlock with a plurality of substantially heavy beverage bottles, to be easily disassembled and removed from the bottles, to be easily reassembled for repeated use, and to provide an integral upwardly extending handle to facilitate carrying.

The carrier blank 10 is provided with four spacedapart and parallel fold lines 12, 14, 16, and 18. The fold lines 12, 14, 16, and 18 divide the carrier blank 10 into five panel sections 20, 22, 24, 26, and 28. An integral handle 21 is formed as part of the panel section 20. The handle 21 has a bendable lip 23 which is turned under in a manner to make it more comfortable to the hand when carrying heavy loads.

Panel section includes one longitudinal edge of the carrier which is contiguous to panel section 22 at the fold line 12. The outer longitudinal edge of panel section 20 is provided with three integral tabs which extend outwardly therefrom in the plane of panel section 20; Each tab 30 has opposed ears 32 which extend in directions longitudinal of the panel section 20. Although the ears 32 on the tabs 30 are shown as substantially semi-circular, the invention comtemplates other forms for the tabs 30. For example, the tabs 30 may have the general shape of an arrowhead.

The panel section 20 further includes the major portions of a plurality of apertures 34. In the present embodiment, the apertures 34 are three in number to provide a carrier embodiment for three bottles, however, the invention contemplates a greater or lesser number of apertures for a corresponding different number of bottles. The apertures 34 intersect and make the fold line 12 discontinuous. Portions of the apertures 34, about one-fourth of the width thereof measured transversely of the panel sections 20 and 22, extend into panel section 22. The apertures 34 are substantially square in shape and the length of a side thereof is greater than the largest diameter of the cap portion of the bottle intended to be associated therewith.

Panel section 28 is substantially a mirror image of panel section 20 without the tabs 30. Panel section 28 includes one longitudinal edge of the carrier blank 10 and is contiguous to panel section 26 on fold line 18. Panel sections 28 and 26 are provided with apertures 36 which are formed therein as apertures 34 are formed in panel sections 20 and 22. Panel section 28 preferably has a width which is narrower than the width of panel section 20, absent of the tabs 30, by a distance of substantially equal to the thickness of the blank 10.

Panel section 26 is also narrower than panel section 22 by about the thickness of the blank 10. This width arrangement of the panel sections 20, 22, 26, and 28 provides for proper relative positioning of panel section 20 over panel section 26 which fold line 12 at the apex of the defined prism as may be seen in FIG. 3.

Panel section 22 is contiguous to panel section 24 along fold line 14. Panel section 26 is contiguous to panel section 24 along fold line 16. Panel section 24 is provided with three circular apertures 38 which are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship longitudinally of the panel section 24 and substantially in transverse alignment with the apertures 34 and 36. The apertures 38 are tangent to the fold lines 14 and 16. The apertures 38 have a diameter less than the diameter of the bottle intended to be associated therewith at a point measured axially downward of the bottle from the underside of the enlarged cap portion, a distance substan tially equal to the vertically projected width of the panel section 22.

Panel section 26 is provided with three tab interlocking apertures 44. The tab interlocking apertures 44 are positioned in a spaced-apart relationship longitudinally of the panel section 26 substantially in transverse alignment with the tabs 30. The tab interlocking apertures 44 have widths measured in a direction longitudinally of the panel section 26 which are substantially equal to the width of the tabs 30 without the ears 32.

In assembling the carrier, the panel sections 22 and 26 are folded upwardly in the same direction from the panel section 24 so that the panel section 24 defines the base of the carrier. The panel sections 20 and 28 are then folded along the fold lines 12 and 18 respectively toward each other, and the fold lines 12 and 18 are brought together in a lapped arrangement with the fold line 12 over the fold line 18 to cause the panels 22 and 26 to form the side walls of the carrier with the general shape of a prism having end faces which are triangles. The ears 32 of the tabs 30 are then projected or snapped through the tab interlocking apertures 44 so that the panel sections 20 and 28 extend generally downwardly from the apex formed by fold lines 12 and 18 and generally parallel and against the side walls of the carrier formed by panel sections 22 and 26. In the assembled condition of the carrier, openings of a size, measured in a direction transversely of the carrier, substantially smaller then the maximum diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith are formed bythe opposed longitudinally extending sides 34a and 36a of the apertures 34 and 36.

In the foregoing described assembled condition of the carrier it is merely necessary to downwardly project the carrier over the bottles intended to be associated therewith. Such bottles are shown at 46 in FIGS. 2 and 3. The enlarged cap portions of the bottles 46 are indicated at 48. The downwardly diverging portions of the bottles 46 are indicated at 50. In the initial projection of the carrier downwardly over the three bottles 46 arranged in a row, the inner periphery of the apertures 38 in the base of the carrier will firmly circumferentially engage the enlarging or diverging neck portions 50 of the bottles 46. Further downward projection of the carrier by a force applied on the apex of the carrier will cause side edge 34a of each aperture 35 and side edge 36a of each aperture 36 to cam over and lock immediately bwneath the enlarged cap portions 48. The side edges 34a and 36a are slightly deformed as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The resiliency of the material in the described arrangement will cause the side edges 34a and 36a of the apertures 34-and 36 to be firmly urged against the necks of the bottles immediately beneath the enlarged cap portions 48.

When the partially lapped apertures 34 and 36 are interlocked beneath the enlarged cap portions 48 as described, the side walls of the carrier will be bowed outwardlylongitudinally thereof as shown in FIG. 3. This bowing of the side walls of the carrier produces an extremely stable and substantially rigid package. The resiliency of the side walls urges the apex of the carrier and the openings therein in firm locking contact with the necks of the bottles 46 beneath the cap portions 48 and further urges the base portion of the carrier downwardly relative to the bottles 46 to firmly hold the bottles 46 with the longitudinal axis thereof parallel and against pivoting thereof.

The carrier is easily removed from the bottles 46 by a person pulling the central portion of the tabs 30 downwardly of the side wall of the carrier to pull or snap the ears 32 of the tabs 30 out of the tab interlocking apertures 44. When the tabs 30 have been unlocked from the apertures 44, the panel sections and 28 are shiftable relative to each other to substantially axially align the peripheries of the apertures 34 with the peripheries of the apertures 36 and the carrier may then be merely lifted from the bottles 46.

When it is desired to reuse the carrier, it is merely necessary to lap the panel section 20 over the panel section 26 and snap the tabs in the apertures 44. With the carrier again in an assembled condition, it is merely necessary to project the carrier downwardly over the bottles 46 as previously described to reform the defined carrier package. As best seen in FIG. 3 the handle 21 has the bendable lip 23 thereof turned outwardly to provide a relatively large surface area for contact with the hand when the carrier and bottles therein are being carried. This lip 23 is turnable in either direction so as to extend to the left as well as to the right as shown on the drawings.

An alternate arrangement of a carrier blank is shown in FIG. 4 and is designated generally by reference numeral 100. The carrier blank 100 may also be made of 0.04 inch thick polyethylene, or any other suitable material as desired. The carrier blank 100 is folded and locked into an assembled condition similar to that of the carrier blank 10 of FIG. 1, and to provide an integral upwardly extending handle to facilitate carrying.

The carrier blank 100 is provided with four spacedapart and parallel fold lines 112, 114, 116 and 118. The fold lines 112, 114, 116, and 118 divide the carrier blank 100 into five panel sections 120, 122, 124, 126, and 128. An integral handle 121 is formed as part of the panel section 120. The handle 121 has a bendable lip 123 which is turned under in a manner to make it more comfortable to the hand when carrying heavy loads.

Panel section 120 includes one longitudinal edge of the carrier which is contiguous to panel section 122 at the fold line 112. The outer longitudinal edge of panel section 120 is provided with three integral tabs 130 which extend outwardly therefrom in the plane of panel section 120. Each tab 130 has opposed ears 132 which extend in directions longitudinal of the panel section 120. Although the ears 132 on the tabs 130 are shown as substantially semi-circular, the invention contemplates other forrns for the tabs 130. For example, the tabs 130 may have the general shape of an arrowhead.

The panel section 120 further includes the major portions of a plurality of apertures 134. In the present embodiment, the apertures 134 are three in number to provide a carrier embodiment for three bottles, however, the invention contemplates a greater or lesser number of apertures for a corresponding different number of bottles. The apertures 134 intersect and make the fold line 112 discontinuous. The aperture 134 is longer than the aperture 34 of FIG. 1 and has about one third of the length in panel 122 and two thirds in panel 120. The apertures 134 are substantially rectangular in shape and the length of a side thereof is greater than the largest diameter of the cap portion of the bottle intended to be associated therewith.

Panel section 126 is narrower than panel section 122 by about the thickness of the blank 100. This width arrangement of the panel sections 120, 122, 126, and 128 provides for proper relative positioning of panel section over panel section 126 with fold line 112 at the apex of the defined prism as may be seen in FIG. 6.

Panel section 122 is contiguous to panel section 124 along fold line 114. Panel section 126 is contiguous to panel section 124 along fold line 116. Panel section 124 is provided with three circular apertures 138 which are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship longitudinally of the panel section 124 and substantially in transverse alignment with the apertures 134 and notches 136. The apertures 138 are tangent to the fold lines 114 and 116. The apertures 138 have a diameter less than the diameter of the bottle intended to be associated therewith at a point measured axially downward of the bottle from the underside of the enlarged cap portion, a distance substantially equal to the vertically projected width of the panel section 122.

Panel section 126 is provided with three tab interlocking apertures 144. The tab interlocking apertures 144 are positioned in a spaced-apart relationship longitudinally of the panel section 126 substantially in transverse alignment with the tabs 130. The tab interlocking apertures 144 have widths measured in a direction longitudinally of the panel section 126 which are substantially equal to the width of the tabs 130 without the ears 132.

In assembling the carrier, the panel sections 122 and 126 are folded upwardly in the same direction from the panel section 124 so that the panel section 124 defines the base of the carrier. The panel sections 120 and 128 are then folded along the fold lines 112 and 118 respectively toward each other, and the fold lines 112 and 118 are brought together in a lapped arrangement with the fold line 112 over the fold line 118 to cause the panels 122 and 126 to form the side walls of the carrier with the general shape of a prism having end faces which are triangles. The ears 132 of the tabs 130 are then projected or snapped through the tab interlocking aper tures 144 so that the panel sections 120 and 128 extend generally downwardly from the apex formed by fold lines 1 12 and 118 and generally parallel and against the side walls of the carrier formed by panel sections 122 and 126. In the assembled condition of the carrier, openings of a size, measured in a direction transversely of the carrier, substantially smaller than the maximum diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith are formed by the opposed longitudinally extending sides 134a and 136a of the apertures 134 and notches 136.

The construction of the carrier blank 100 is similar to that of the carrier blank 10 except that the apertures 36 are now formed as recesses or notches 136. How ever, the cooperation of the edges 134a and 136a function in the same manner as the edges 34a and 36a of FIG. 1. Another difference of the embodiment of FIG. 4 is the double fold line of the handle portion 121. In this instance there are two fold portions 123 and to provide a U-shaped handle grip as best seen in FIG. 6.

While only two specific embodiments of this invention have been shown it will be understood that other modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts disclosed and claimed herein.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row, said carrier formed from a sheet of resilient deformable plastic material, said sheet of plastic material having four fold lines therein in a parallel spaced apart relationship, to form five panel sections, the third panel section being located centrally of said carrier with the second and fourth panel sections being contiguous thereto along the opposite longitudinal marginal edges thereof, the first panel section being contiguous to said second panel section and including a handle extending therefrom to take an upstanding position when the plastic material is folded to form the carrier, said third panel section including a plurality of bottle encircling apertures therein arranged in a row extending longitudinally of said third panel section, said carrier being foldable into the configuration of a prism having triangular end faces with said third panel section defining the base of said prism and with said second and fourth panel sections defining the side walls of said prism, said fifth section being folded beneath said second section and said first section being folded over said fourth section whereby the fold line between said first and second sections defines the apex of said prism and the fold line between said fourth and fifth sections is disposed immediately beneath the apex of said prism, a second plurality of apertures through said first and second sections, and second plurality of apertures arranged in a row longitudinally of said first and second sections and intersecting the fold line between said first and second sections, a plurality of cut-outs formed in said fourth and fifth sections, said plurality cut-outs arranged in a row longitudinally of said third and fourth sections and intersecting the fold line between said third and fourth sections, said second plurality of apertures and said plurality of cut-outs being dimensioned larger than the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier, said second plurality of apertures lapping said plurality of cut-outs to define openings through the apex of said prism above respective ones of said apertures in said base section with said openings being dimensioned in a direction transversely of said sections less than the diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith, means between said first and fourth panel sections for releasably securing the outer edge of said first panel section to said fourth panel section, said apertures in said base section being of a size capable of being received over the neck portions and below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier, whereby said carrier is projectable downwardly over a plurality of bottles intended to be associated therewith with said apertures in said base portion circumferentially engaging the neck portions of said bottles below the enlarged cap portions thereof and with said openings deformed and resiliently gripping the portions of said bottles immediately below the enlarged cap portions thus leaving said handle extending upwardly from the enlarged cap portion of the bottles.

2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said cutout portions are apertures formed substantially in the end panel members of said carrier blank.

3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said cutout portions are apertures formed in one end panel member of said carrier blank and notches formed in the other end panel member of said carrier blank.

4. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said integral upwardly extending handle includes a bendable transversely extending hand engaging tab portion to distribute the weight of the carrier over a relatively large area of the hand carrying the same.

5. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said integral upwardly extending handle includes a bendable transversely extending portion leading into a bendable upwardly extending portion to form substantially a U- shaped hand engaging portion to distribute the weight of the carrier over a relatively large area of the hand carrying the same. 

1. A carrier for a plurality of bottles arranged in a row, said carrier formed from a sheet of resilient deformable plastic material, said sheet of plastic material having four fold lines therein in a parallel spaced apart relationship, to form five panel sections, the third panel section being located centrally of said carrier with the second and fourth panel sections being contiguous thereto along the opposite longitudinal marginal edges thereof, the first panel section being contiguous to said second panel section and including a handle extending therefrom to take an upstanding position when the plastic material is folded to form the carrier, said third panel section including a plurality of bottle encircling apertures therein arranged in a row extending longitudinally of said third panel section, said carrier being foldable into the configuration of a prism having triangular end faces with said third panel section defining the base of said prism and with said second and fourth panel sections defining the side walls of said prism, said fifth section being folded beneath said second section and said first section being folded over said Fourth section whereby the fold line between said first and second sections defines the apex of said prism and the fold line between said fourth and fifth sections is disposed immediately beneath the apex of said prism, a second plurality of apertures through said first and second sections, and second plurality of apertures arranged in a row longitudinally of said first and second sections and intersecting the fold line between said first and second sections, a plurality of cut-outs formed in said fourth and fifth sections, said plurality cut-outs arranged in a row longitudinally of said third and fourth sections and intersecting the fold line between said third and fourth sections, said second plurality of apertures and said plurality of cut-outs being dimensioned larger than the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier, said second plurality of apertures lapping said plurality of cut-outs to define openings through the apex of said prism above respective ones of said apertures in said base section with said openings being dimensioned in a direction transversely of said sections less than the diameter of the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated therewith, means between said first and fourth panel sections for releasably securing the outer edge of said first panel section to said fourth panel section, said apertures in said base section being of a size capable of being received over the neck portions and below the enlarged cap portions of the bottles intended to be associated with said carrier, whereby said carrier is projectable downwardly over a plurality of bottles intended to be associated therewith with said apertures in said base portion circumferentially engaging the neck portions of said bottles below the enlarged cap portions thereof and with said openings deformed and resiliently gripping the portions of said bottles immediately below the enlarged cap portions thus leaving said handle extending upwardly from the enlarged cap portion of the bottles.
 2. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said cut-out portions are apertures formed substantially in the end panel members of said carrier blank.
 3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said cut-out portions are apertures formed in one end panel member of said carrier blank and notches formed in the other end panel member of said carrier blank.
 4. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said integral upwardly extending handle includes a bendable transversely extending hand engaging tab portion to distribute the weight of the carrier over a relatively large area of the hand carrying the same.
 5. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein said integral upwardly extending handle includes a bendable transversely extending portion leading into a bendable upwardly extending portion to form substantially a U-shaped hand engaging portion to distribute the weight of the carrier over a relatively large area of the hand carrying the same. 